About XPT

XPT® | Extreme Performance Training® | is a performance training lifestyle/mindset founded on exposing ourselves to new challenges and learning experiences that push us far beyond our comfort zones so we can grow, adapt, and, ultimately, be the best people we’re capable of becoming.

We believe that there are quite enough rigid training systems, diets, and approaches out there. In contrast, XPT provides you with the knowledge and tools to go out and live the kind of active, inquisitive, and explorative lifestyle that Laird and Gabby exemplify physically, mentally, and spiritually. XPT aims to help you be resilient and versatile, while also encouraging you to commit to a lifetime of continual learning, discovery, and fun with the people who matter most.

The Three Principle Pillars of XPT | BREATHE -> MOVE -> RECOVER

BREATHE | XPT PERFORMANCE BREATHING ®

Breathing is the most elemental thing we do as human beings. We can go for a couple of weeks with no food and several days without water, but even the most accomplished freedivers can only manage several minutes without oxygen. At XPT, we believe that being able to control your breath is not only integral to high performance in the pool, on the water, and in the gym, but in every area of life. Yes, being able to control your breath can increase your physical output and recovery, but it can also improve your cognitive abilities and capacity to handle stress and the everyday issues we all encounter. That’s why we provide breathing protocols based on the latest research that help you upshift when you need to perform at your peak and downshift when you need to relax. With just a few minutes a day of conscious breath work, you can access the physical, mental, and emotional states you want or need, while also having a simple, portable tool to get you out of undesirable ones.

MOVE | XPT WATER / STRENGTH / AGILITY

We were made to move. In the past 100 years, Western societies have forsaken this key truth, and a sedentary lifestyle centered on hours of sitting has become the new normal. At XPT, our goal is to get ourselves and you back to the kind of active lifestyle that humankind was designed to live. According to the EPA, the average person spends up to 90 percent of their time indoors. We equip you to be better than average, and to move throughout your day, spending as much of it outside exploring, learning, and challenging yourself as you purposefully move through nature as possible. We also help you develop integrity in every archetypal position so that whether it’s doing a gym or pool training session, lifting your kids up, or helping a friend move to a new house, you’ll have the physical capabilities necessary to not just survive, but thrive.

RECOVER | XPT ICE-HEAT

The XPT lifestyle is all about learning, pushing your boundaries, and challenging yourself. Part of this involves being exposed to stimuli that make you uncomfortable, whether it’s in a sauna and ice bath, in the pool, or in any number of other taxing environments. But to close the loop on adaptation, you need to pair appropriately dosed stimulus with adequate recovery. To help put in this final piece of the puzzle, we’ve come up with a recovery hierarchy (with the most important elements higher up the list) that is universally applicable to athletes at all levels.

Sleep

Getting a solid night’s rest each and every evening. At the most basic level, this means 8 to 10 hours a night. But quality is also important. We give you the toolkit needed to check both boxes, so that you can learn and grow sustainably and be ready for whatever challenges tomorrow throws at you.

Nutrition

Hippocrates wrote, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Turns out the Greek philosopher was onto something. Gabby and Laird have always made high quality, real food a priority for them and their family. At XPT, we not only share their recipes, but also the knowledge of the best nutritionists to make sure you’re fueling and refueling well to power your best performances ever.

Active Recovery

There’s a time for passive recovery (more on this in a moment) but also opportunities to greatly amplify the positive effects of your training through active recovery. By using mobility, breath work, contrast therapy (heat and cold), and low intensity physical activity like yard work, you can get more out of each training session and derive the maximum cumulative benefits from the skills you’re acquiring and developing.

Passive Recovery

While we encourage movement throughout the day, there’s also a time and place to simply sit back and relax. We’re not made to be solitary, so at XPT we encourage you to be in community as much as possible with like-minded people who encourage, challenge, and care about you. Laird and Gabby love to use this time to connect with loved ones, while also challenging the mind and body in other ways like coordination and problem solving such as bocce ball, cornhole or other games. You should build in plenty of time to chill out, plan, reflect, set goals, and so on, so that you can be more purposeful in your training.

Bringing in the Experts

While Gabby and Laird have learned a lot in the past two decades, they also recognize that they don’t know everything. That’s why we have experts like performance director PJ Nestler in house, and a roster of world leading experts as our advisory council. These are aligned with our Breathe, Move, and Recover pillars, and include MobilityWOD’s Dr. Kelly Starrett, breathing guru Patrick McKeown, and muscle physiologist Dr. Andy Galpin. These three gentlemen and the other specialists we work with feed into our philosophy of combining emerging science with real world observational information. As such, we’re continually evolving our methodologies and techniques through cutting-edge research and insights forged in the crucible of elite competition.